Roller conveyer construction



Dec. 7, 1954 H. w. BARRY ROLLER CONVEYER CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 22, 1949 INVENTOR.

United States PaterrtO ROLLER CONVEYER CNSTRUCTI0N= 7 m.'w'i- 'Yl Detroi .Mic'h: .Arpplic'ation August 2 2, 1949,.'Serlal' No 111,627

Claimsa; (Cl. 193-il5)..

I This invention. relates: to-a: rollerr-conveyora and in par.-

ticular:.-to .a method :fonholdingrroller. shaftsbrtbearings 1 V One object .is "1110 provide a roller conveyor: of simple and inexpensive assembly-=1 Anothersobject isrtoprovide a conveyor that can the *easily: disassembled;- reassembled;-

and cleaned. A furtheruobjecta-is' to provide-avroller 7 are fragmentary cross sectional views of some variations. Figure 8 is an upright face view of the bearing shown in Figure 5. Figure 9 is a top sectional fragmentary view of a rigid bearing for use particularly with stub shaft assemblies and shown in place with the cover removed. Throughout the drawing corresponding members are given like numbers.

Referring to the drawing and in particular to Figures 1 and 2, the rollers represented by roller 1 have shaft ends 2 which are inserted in slots 3 on L-shaped angle bar structural members 4 which are parallelly spaced and held in relative position by brace, frame, or solid. The shaft ends have a fiat face 5 on an otherwise round shaft. The U-shaped slot 3 receives the shaft from above without requiring lateral motion, and the slot 3 is of a depth so that the face 5 can be substantially flush with the structural members 4. A cover member 6 holds the roller shafts down in place, restricts them laterally, and by engaging with face 5 prevents the shafts from rotating. Cover member 6 is fastened in place after the shaft ends 2 have been inserted in slots 3. Cover member 6 can be made up from several lengths, as shown, and can be held in place by bolts 8. Cover member 6 has a double bend 7 to give displacement from the structural member 4 along the line of the shaft ends thus permitting the shafts to extend beyond the structural member 4 and have lateral tolerance. Cover member 6 encloses the roller shaft ends completely, covering the grease holes 9 and any inserted fittings. Cover member 6 also provides an unbroken top and side face except for the occasional bolt heads and the avoidable section joints of member 6.

Again referring to the drawing, but in particular to Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7; these variations have the same components and retain the same principle as shown, Figures 1 and 2. Different shapes of cover member 6 and different ways of securing member 6 are shown.

In Figure 3 structural member 4a is an L-shaped angle bar with an attached fiat bar 10, as shown, having the U-shaped slots 3a and being wide enough to permit set screws 11a to hold the angle cover 6a along the top. A space for the shaft ends 2a to extend into is hereby provided without any extra bends.

In Figure 4 the cover member 6b is extended above the shaft ends 2b to form high sides for more complete enclosure.

In Figure 5 the roller 16 has external bearings 12 having a groove 13 on the central portion of each side edge, as shown in Figure 8. The grooves 13 cooperate in slot 3c with structural member 4c to hold bearing 12.

2,696,283 Patented Dec.. 7,. 19 54 Ice cient rwidthe-to-g provider bearingpandw clearance for; the

shaft .ends 241.: Therefore .cover ymember- 6d cam-be J an angle tasrshownw 1..

In. Figure. 57; cover member. Gecan be: held. in: place being :spnungonoverzprotrusions nonstructural member 4'e.:' This methodtof, holding permits extra quick assemblyand disassembly'. 1

In Figure 8 :-.:the:= location 1 of A grooves; :13 5 on. bearing unit--12; Figure-5,- :are1:shown. .A portion-of: bearing .12zis cut away-illustrating a-rcomrnon ball.raceway;15.-, The bottom;.portion. :is; rounded. so: that; the: slot; or' opening 30 for the bearing can be punched outrwith a: minimum of shearing;;:-,area and. no :sharp; corner: -cuts,'. which .are liable 1 to twist member; 14c. unevenly .at-.the:' cornersaof; the cutr v In Figurez9:.a:.stubsshaft ,16 -being.supported; only: in bearing17 requiressthat this bearing holdthe axisofihe shaft rigid. Bearings;aszbearing-l7,tare made to-do this' job, but the bearing must also beheld-rigid; this. can'be SIOIIiibYEgI'OOVIHgL 13gsimilar to "the; grooving ou bearmg} a lngFignresg-laandfi endsof :taper'pin a18 are shown in dotted lines. Eachapingcanbe inserted in a: holerin each shaft and protrude 'outwardifrom\the 'shaft; These pins 1. are. not-:aczuart of Figure- 2x01? 3 butare mentionedzasa methodsofaholdin tthe fixed shaftsain place as. stub shafts when supported only at one engagement.

Stub shaft assemblies: mounted each in; abearing-or fixedv iinza frame. membenareused irnconveyors to'support l: 'oller's prockets, short returnzrollers andmight als -bem sed te tsupportwsuch: things:.as@:pulleys,:. gears wheels, and even stationary objects such as hooks; which stationary objects go beyond the purpose of this invention.

Upon viewing the figures in the drawing it can be seen that both ends of a roller shaft need not project in a similar construction, but any construction of this invention may be combined with a suitable construction of some other type if desired. The roller may be made up of one or more roller wheels on a shaft, a common manufacture. The slot, that is the engagement, need not be the full width of the structural member, but can be stamped, punched, cut, or applied thereto. This construction applies equally well to curves, branches, and tapers. Shown are only some considered typical of the many possible variations of this construction.

I claim:

1. In a roller conveyor having rollers and side rails, means for securing the rollers to the side rails comprising open top slots spaced along the length of the rails, shaft end roller projections which allow the rollers to revolve thereon, a substantially fiat face extending toward the end on each said projection, cover members which cover along the length of said rails over the slots. said roller projections engaging in said slots, and said cover members engaging against said substantially flat face on said roller projections to prevent said projections from turning, and to hold said projections in place, said cover member enclosing the ends of said projections along the outer sides of said rails, and means detachably securing said cover members in position.

2. In a roller conveyor having rollers and side rails, means for securing the rollers to the side rails comprising open top slots spaced along the length of the rails, shaft and roller projections which revolve with the rollers, bearings which engage in said slots, cover members which cover along the length of said rails over the slots, engaging with said bearings to hold them in place and enclosing the outward faces of said bearings and shaft ends along the outer face of said rails. and means for detachably securing said cover members to said rails.

3. In a roller conveyor means for securing rollers to the side rails which comprises, a side rail member having each of said rollers is engaged in a said engagement, the other roller projection on each of the rollers is free to engage in whatever suitable structure is provided.

4. In a roller conveyor rollers shafts to frame assembly, a plurality of roller shaft ends which have substantially a flat face, a plurality of oppositely spaced frame members held in relative position by suitable means, said frame members having U-shaped slots spaced along the top edge of said frame members, said shaft end being inserted therein, cover members covering along said frame members over said U-shaped slots and over said inserted shaft ends thereon engaging with said flat face to prevent said shaft ends turning, said cover members enclosing said shaft ends along the outward face of said frame members being detachably secured to said frame members to permit quick disassembly and reassembly for access to the rollers held in place thereby.

5. In a roller conveyor roller shafts to frame assembly as claimed in claim 4 having cover members that permit said shafts ends to protrude beyond said frame members.

6. In a roller conveyor roller shafts to frame assembly as claimed in claim 4 having cover members with sides extended above said frame members to provide further enclosure of the rollers.

7. In a roller conveyor roller shafts to frame assembly as claimed in claim 4 having cover members which can be sprung on over protrusions on said frame members and thereby held in place until sprung off.

8. In a roller conveyor roller shafts to frame assembly as claimed in claim 4 in which said fiat face is positioned in slot substantially flush with the top edge of said frame members.

9. An assembly for securing rollers in a frame which comprises, a roller support at each end of the roller, a structural side member, a cover member, said structural member having an upright portion and substantially U- shaped slots spaced along its top edge, said slots being of a size and shape to receive said roller supports, said cover member having a bend lengthwise therein and arranged whereby said cover member covers over the tops of said slots and encloses the roller supports along the outward face of said structural member, and means detachably securing said cover member to said frame member.

10. An assembly to secure roller shafts in a conveyor which comprises an upright fiat frame portion running lengthwise the conveyor; a plurality of substantially U- shaped openings spaced along the top edge of said upright portion and extending through said portion between the faces thereof; shaft end members which engage in said U-shaped openings having a substantially flat face thereon; a cover member which covers over the tops of said openings, engages against said fiat face, prevents said shaft members engaged in said openings from coming upward in said openings beyond tolerance, encloses the shaft end members outwardly of the outer face of said upright portion thereby permitting the extention of said shaft end members outward of said upright portion; a double bend in said cover member lengthwise the conveyor permitting the securing of said cover member against the outer face of said frame portion below the enclosure for the shaft end members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Bowen Mar. 5, 1946 

